Mail receiving and delivering mechanism for railways.



nu. 707,500. Patented Aug. I9, |902.

F. H. BURR.

MAIL RECEIVING AND DELIVEHING MEGHANISM FUR RAILWAYS.

(Application filed July 5, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

me Norms PETERS no. Pnoollmo.. WASHINGTON, D. c,

. N. 707,500. Patented A0019, |002.

F. H. B000. MAIL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM FUR RAILWAYS..

(Application tled July 5, 1902.)

W/TNESSES;

irnn Sfrnrs n'rnnr OFFICE;

FRANKLIN II. BURR, OF ATLANTIC, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO FAST MAIL DELIVERY COMPANY, OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

MAIL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,500, dated August 19, 1902.

Application led July 5, 1902. Serial No. 114,424. (No model.) l

T0 LZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN H. BURR, a citizen of the United States, residing at `Atlantic, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Receiving and Delivering Mechanism for Railways; and'I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to certain improvements in delivering devices, and particularly to automatic means fordelivering mail from and to moving trains.

It consists, in combination with a car, of a delivering-frame arranged in the doorway thereof,a link pivotally connecting said frame to said car,and means for swinging said frame upon said link.

It also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a view in side elevation of a station and a car equipped with mechanism ernbodying the features of the present invention.. Fig. 2 representsla transverse vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of the delivering-frame. Fig. 4 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the saine.

The present invention contemplates the provision of means for Adelivering mail from a rapidly-moving train and placing the same under cover and for delivering mail from the station into one of the cars of the train, the entire operation being automatic and being accomplished without the stoppage of the train. In carrying out this delivering operation I provide at each station an operatingrod 1, positioned in an inclined plane and having its lower end nearer the track than its upper end, any suitable supporting-standards 2 2 being arranged for retaining the rod 1. in position, said standards being preferably curved at 3 for leaving the rod free for the 5o operation hereinafter to be described. Vithin the doorway ofthe car from which the mail operating-arm 7, provided at its free end with a contact friction-roller 8. Suitable links 9 9 are pivoted,by means of a rod 10,to the framework 4 and have their free ends pivotally connected with brackets 11 1l, carried by the car or other support.

The station receiving mail from the delivering-frame 12 is preferably provided with a shield 13, leading to a housing 14, formed with a doorway 15, in which is vertically swung a suitable door 16 upon a pivotally or otherwise mounted rod 17. The housing 14 is provided with a delivering-frame 12', similar in all respects to delivering-frame 12. The delivering-frame 12' is provided with an operating-arm 7', carrying a friction-roller 8', in operation engaging a suitable operatingrod 20, carried by the car and positioned in an inclined plane and having its upper end nearer the car than its lower end. In practicing the present invention it is found desirable to deliver mail from a train running in either direction, and hence the housing 14 is provided with a door 16', arranged upon the opposite side to the door 16, and the operating-rod 1 leads up to a shield 13', arranged outside the housing opposite the shield 13 and rod 1.

In operation a mail-pouch to be delivered to the car is placedupon the delivering-frame 12', the saine being in the position indicated in Fig. 2, and the mail-pouch t0 be delivered to the station is placed upon the deliveringframe 12 in the position indicated in said figure, the bail 6 being raised to form an abutment for said pouch during the delivering operation. As the train moves past the station the roller 8 will engage the under surface of operating-rod 1 and moving longitu- IOO dinally thereof will swing the deliveringframe 12 to a vertical plane upon its pivot, and thereby throw the pouch carried by said frame against the shoulder 3, the momentum of said bag carrying the same into contact with the door 16, which will readily swing open and permit the pouch to drop within the housing. The delivering-frame in moving outwardly swings upon links 9 and eventually causes them to move upon their pivots mounted in brackets ll, whereby the throw of said frame will be lengthened and the frame finally caused to assume a lowered vertical position, as indicated in Fig. 4. This position is retained by the delivering-frame until it is desired to prepare the same for another delivery. Immediately succeeding the delivering' operation from frame l2 roller 8 engages rod 2O and moving down the same will produce the same operation of frame l2' as was described with reference to frame l2, except that the pouch is delivered through the open door of the car instead of into the housing 14. If for any reason the pouch is not thrown directly through theopen door of the car, the same comes in contact with alaterally-projecting fender 2l, arranged at the side of the doorway for preventing the pouch from being carried past the same.v When striking against said fender 2l, the pouch will be delivered within the car.

Although I have speeificaily set forth the particular embodiment of the specific elements going to make up an operating structure embodying the present invention, yet I wish it understood that I do not propose to limit myself to all the details herein disclosed, but shall feel at liberty to deviate therefrom to any degree within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

l In the present application I make no claim specifically to the form of operating-rod l, but reserve the same as the subject-matter of a divisional application, wherein I shall claim the said rod specifically, with only generic mention of the delivering-frame l2.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a delivering mechanism the combination ofasupporting-frame,means forpivotally supporting the said frame, the said pivotal mechanism being capable of lengthening the throw of the frame, and means for automatically swinging said frame upon its pivotal sup-' port, substantially as described.

2. Ina delivering mechanism, the combination of a delivering-frame, an intermediate, pivotally-mounted link pivotally carrying the same for increasing the throw of the frame, both of the pivots being positioned in the same vertical plane, and means for swinging the frame upon said link, substantially as described.

3. In a delivering mechanism, the combination with a delivering-frame,*comprising a suitable framework and a bail for forming 'an abutment at one end thereof to prevent pouches being thrown from the frame by centrifugal force, means pivotally supporting said delivering-frame, and means for swinging the delivering-framework upon its pivot, substantially as described.

4. In a delivering mechanism, the combination of a delivering-frame comprising a suitable framework, a pivotally-mounted apron carried thereby, and an abutment formed at the end of the framework, pivotal means supporting said delivering-frame capable of lengthening the throw thereof, and means for swinging said delivering-frame upon its pivot, substantially as described.

5. In a delivering mechanism, the combination of a car, an intermediate link pivotally attached thereto, a delivering-frame pivoted to said link, and means fixed relative to said car for swinging said delivering-frame upon said link and its pivot, substantially as described.

6. In a delivering mechanism, the combination of a delivering-frame pivoted to the car, means for swinging said frame upon its pivot, a suitable shield fixed at an angle relative to the car, and a housing contiguous to said shield for receiving an article delivered by said frame, substantially as described.

7. In a delivering mechanism the combination of a frame larger at one end than at the other and contracted within its central portion, a pivoted-link frame pivoted to said delivering-frame at its contracted part, the said pivoted-link frame being also pivoted to a suitable support, a tilting arm projecting from the said delivering-frame, and means for engaging the same to throw the frame upon its pivotal point, the pivotal-link frame lengthening the throw and action of the said arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN H. BURR. Witnesses:

G. A. MEREDITH, P. A. BURR.

IOO 

